


The Final Trial

by All_Smiles



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Adventure, Divorce, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force Ghost Anakin Skywalker, Force Ghost Mace Windu, Force Ghost Obi-Wan Kenobi, Force Ghost Yoda (Star Wars), Force Ghost(s), Frenemies, Jedi, Jedi Ben Solo, Long Lost/Secret Relatives
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:33:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23025613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/All_Smiles/pseuds/All_Smiles
Summary: In his final trial before being knighted, young Jedi Ben Solo goes on a mission to search for his long-lost grandmother, the  former queen and senator of Naboo, Padmé Amidala.
Relationships: Leia Organa/Han Solo
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	1. Prologue - Meditation

**Author's Note:**

> This is an idea I had for an alternative universe (though technically it's closer to an "alternative timeline.") It's basically a "what-if" of if Ben idolized Padmé instead of Anakin/Vader. And also, what if Padmé was potentially alive after "Revenge of the Sith" but didn't appear throughout the original trilogy due to certain circumstances. This takes place in 28 ABY. This is loosely based off of the comics and some stuff in the novelizations, but obviously you don't NEED to read them to understand this, and some stuff I just made up because it seemed cool.
> 
> I was inspired by this tumblr post, because it's just so cute - https://ol-ga2.tumblr.com/post/184300392302/like-grandma-like-grandson
> 
> Also there's extremely mild Reylo in this and it's not romantic. It has to do with the workings of their force-bond, which is weak at this point in time. Also in 28 ABY, Ben is around 23 and Rey would be around 13, so no way in hell am I going to write romance in this one.
> 
> This is just the prologue, so not much plot yet but seeds are planted.

_It has been 24 years since the Rebels defeated the Empire at the Battle of Endor. Over the past several years, the galaxy has begun to see an uprising among the Empire’s ashes in the First Order._

_Despite the First Order’s efforts, the Republic trudges on, fighting to keep democracy in the newly formed Resistance under the leadership of General Leia Organa. Of these fighters, includes those under Jedi Master Luke Skywalker’s tutelage at his temple on Yavin 4._

_Ben Solo, the son of Leia Organa and Han Solo, is nearly finished as a padawan, and has only one trial left. Eager to be Knighted, and service the Republic in a greater way, he will soon have to take on a mission in order complete his training._

To most of his peers, Ben Solo was a very lucky man. 

Born to heroes of the Galactic Civil War, grandson to the Chosen One, and destined for greatness. Everyone in the galaxy knew of his existence. There were whispers of him while he was still developing in his mother’s womb. There were rumors about his very birth. Before he joined the Jedi Order, his classmates looked to him in astonishment and even found him intimidating based on reputation alone. Born on Chandrila, raised in privilege. Mother, a legendary politician and leader of the Rebel Alliance. Father, a revered pilot and pirate. He never went without anything tangible in his life that many people in the galaxy did. Ben Solo was indeed, very lucky.

And yet still, Ben sometimes felt hollow. While most people didn’t grow up with kitchen droids and parents with many credits, they did feel a sense of belonging in their own homes. And the bond he remembers so strongly as a child, had crumbled after his parents divorce. And both his mother and father were left so heartbroken by the whole situation, they threw themselves into their work. As for Ben, he was left to play with his mock-up of the Millennium Falcon. 

That is until he was ten years-old, and he was sent to his uncle’s temple to begin his Jedi training. It has been thirteen years, and as he sits here, meditating in a cave on Yavin 4, it still runs through his mind in between his peaceful thoughts.

 _“They didn’t want you,”_ said the voice that whispered to Ben from time to time. _“You seriously think they ever loved you? You were a distraction, and when they could no longer be distracted by you, they got rid of you.”_

The voice didn’t belong to him. It’s deep, raspy, and aged voice spoke to him as if it were right next to him in the cave, into his ears and causing his soul to welp up in pain and anger.

 _“Go away!”_ Ben shouted at this voice through his mind, voice filled with venom.

_“Search your feelings, you know it to be true.”_

“NO!”

“BEN!” The voice of his distressed uncle snapped him out of it. His bottom crashed against the hard, rocky floor of the cave and he glanced up at Luke through his dark, sweaty bangs.

“It happened again, didn’t it?” Ben asked between deep breaths of his exhausted lungs. He felt as if he had been running instead of meditating.

Luke nods. “The cave nearly collapsed! You could have killed yourself!”

“I’m sorry uncle,” he replied. 

Luke sighed and ran a hand through his blonde hair which had become more and more streaked with gray over the years. “Is this about you-know-who again?” He asked quietly as to not alarm any of his other apprentices that might be eavesdropping just outside of the cave.

Ben just nodded slowly. Luke sighed solemnly.

“We’ll discuss this after dinner. You must finish your meditation though.”

Ben obeyed, positioned himself cross-legged but still faced his uncle. “Can you watch over me like you used to? Stop me again if it gets too intense?”

Look gave his nephew an apologetic look through his crystal blue eyes. “I’m sorry Ben, but I can’t. I was in the middle of teaching the younglings. I’ll send Voe to watch over you.”

Ben’s eyes grew wide. “No! Why Voe? Please not Voe, you know she hates me!”

Luke waved his hand, brushing off Ben’s comment. “She does not hate you. Hate cannot exist within the spirit of a Jedi. You two just have incompatible personalities. Need I remind you - you must learn to get along with those you do not share an immediate bond with my padawan.”

“What about Tai? Or Hennix? Or one of the younglings?!” Ben pleaded.

“Both are on a mission on Coruscant protecting the Republic Senates. This meeting’s important as those First Order goons are going to be showboating the entire time. And are you _kidding_ me? I will not risk the life of a youngling Ben! They can't even lift big rocks yet, let alone boulders. Goodness you’re going to be a Knight soon you have to think smarter!”

Ben looked down, his voice began to shake. “You know how scary it is-”

“I do. Which is why I’m sending Voe. She can handle you if you get out of hand, trust me.”

Ben gave up. He knew it would be useless to argue further.

“Yes, Master.”

“Good luck kid.” Luke patted his shoulder and stepped out of the cave.

A few moments later, Voe made her presence known. She did not step into the cave nor show her face but she did shout.

“I’m here Solo.” Her tone was strident and laced with annoyance.

“Thank you.” He responded half-politely, half-sarcastic. He was always taught to have manners. He took a deep breath before re-positioning himself and focusing back in on his meditation. If Master Luke was still giving lessons to the younglings, then it was surely still early in the day and he’d have a while to finish this.

Using as much force as he could, he pushed all negative thoughts from his head. Clearing his body of fear, anger, and hate. Zeroing in on joy and love. Love for his parents and the relationship they had when he was young. His love for the relationship he currently shared with his uncle, and how close they had gotten since he first started teaching him the ways of the force. The love he had for his friends Tai and Hennix. The...respect he had for Voe for being a powerful jedi and a worthy rival who pushed him to keep developing his skills. His love of water. The golden dice that dangled in his father’s ship. The different braided hairstyles his mother would wear. How soft his Wookie uncle Chewie’s fur was against his skin as a child when he held him or put him on his back for rides…

Ah, there it was. 

This feeling was completely opposite to whenever _that voice_ spoke to him. This was something else completely.

Warmth. He would feel incredible warmth beam down onto his face as if he were surrounded by a hot sun, though he was certain this wasn’t the case because the cave didn’t allow much sunlight in from where he was sitting. But he could practically see the burning golden light from behind his eyelids. 

He would hear the sound of pieces of metal clanking together, and feet marching along a soft surface that he couldn’t make out. His throat would grow slightly dry as the warmth turned into heat. Then he hears the voice of a girl. She’s young, has an accent different from his. He normally can’t make out everything she’s saying as her voice is fizzy through his meditative state, but he can normally make out some words. This time it’s “portions” which is something she’s definitely said before. He can also vaguely make out “water” and “speeder.”

Although he has no idea what any of this means, he enjoys it. He’s been having experiences like this for nearly as long as he’s been training; and they’d only grown stronger and more vivid over the years. It had become welcome, and even gave him a sense of home just given how familiar it had gotten. It would only be once he was fully submerged in whatever sort of projection or space this was, when he found himself becoming one with the force.

Once he achieved that, he brought himself back down. He glanced out of the cave, and noticed it was twilight. Time for dinner.


	2. History Lessons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben learns he won't know his future, until he figures out his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so, this is very exposition heavy but it's necessary because Ben is learning about the (reported) history of his family for the first time. This is our insight into how little he, and the galaxy for that matter, actually know about the Skywalkers and their connection to Vader and the dark side. I actually enjoyed writing about this from Ben's perspective, as it's a limited one that allowed me to see things from someone in the galaxy that doesn't know all that we do as viewers.
> 
> Last but not least: Thank you littleflame for leaving kudos!

Once Ben was out of the cave, Voe came into view, her white hair in contrast to the deepening horizon of Yavin 4.

“Good news,” she huffed. “The cave didn’t shake not even once.” He could tell she was omitting telling him that this was a waste of time. The two began to walk down the hill to the fire place where Luke, the younglings, and other padawans were huddled together eating what looked to be his special rootleaf stew which he made at the end of each week.

“Thank you, Voe.” Ben replied again. He glanced at her hand where the core of a fruit was dangling from her fingers. He assumed a youngling must have brought her a pear while she was waiting. “Any updates on Hennix and Tai?”

Voe’s disposition didn’t change, but her tone of voice became more casual and less stressed. “They’ve landed safely, though the First Order made a show of their presence with a loud parade.”

Ben snickered. “A _parade_?”

The corners of Voe’s mouth twitched upwards into a small smile, one could hear the laughter she was holding back in her voice. “Indeed.” She replied.

Once they arrived at the foot of the hill, Luke had finished his stew and was telling old Jedi legends to the younglings. The smell of the stew was still fresh and the fire casted a warm orange glow across everyone’s faces.

Ben recognized the legend Luke was relenting on, as it was one he told he and his friends when they were younglings. It was about the Prime Jedi, the first member of the Jedi Order.

“He was the first one to realize the force had capabilities and he sought to master them - oh Ben and Voe! Good to see you’re finally here to join us. Take up some stew and have a seat.” Luke gestured to the pot, balanced on a metal hook above the fire before continuing his story.

Voe went before him, grabbing an empty bowl and spoon from the pile next to the fire. They both took up full bowls of the lumpy green meal. The stew was originally made by Luke’s old master, Yoda, while he lived on Dagobah. However Luke claims to have heavily improvised his own version of the recipe so that it tasted less like swamp water, and more like something someone would actually enjoy putting in their stomach. 

As Luke was getting to the part where the Prime Jedi began to build a temple on Ahch-To, Luke got a call on his holoprojector. He accepted it, and the image of jedi master Mara Jade Skywalker, came into view on the holoprojector.

“Master Jade-Skywalker,” said Master Luke, careful to keep his speech professional in front of the younglings and padawans, as Mara was his wife.

“Master Skywalker,” she replied. “I have accompanied the two padwans to Coruscant. Day one of the meetings are complete.”

“Have you encountered any strife?” Luke asked.

“No, however the meetings haven’t gone particularly smoothly either. Things have been rather heated. Senator Leia Organa is holding her own greatly.” Ben’s ears perked up at the mention of his mother. A wave of sadness crept over him, he wished he were selected for the mission. He hadn’t seen his mother in nearly two years.

 _“She wouldn’t have wanted you there.”_ Said the voice.

Ben didn’t entertain it. He pushed it to the back of his mind and continued eating his soup, drowning out the talks of the meetings between the Republic and the First Order. When he was finished, he got up and retreated to his hut, slipping out of Luke’s audience and out towards west of the temple.

Ben didn’t want to sleep just yet so he occupied himself by doing mundane tasks such as lifting miscellaneous rocks to create random shapes, and eventually took to cleaning his lightsaber.

While he was in the middle of cleaning the shaft, his uncle entered.

“It’s about time you cleaned that damn thing,” Luke mused. “It looked just about ready to hop into my stew!”

Ben gave a small chuckle, his eyes not leaving his saber.

Luke noticed how solemn his nephew looked. He knew there was no use in holding back.

“It’s Snoke again, isn’t it?”

Ben paused for a second and nodded.

“You have to keep resist-”

“I know Master,” Ben said gently, cutting his uncle off. “I know. It’s just. Why has he chosen _me_? I don’t understand.”

Luke knew. Leia knew. Han knew. But no one had broken the news to Ben yet, not even after twenty-three years. It was a secret everyone in his circle had kept locked inside of them. The reason why his family was so strong with the force, and why they were forever burdened to be tempted by the dark side. 

And despite how much Luke knew he should tell Ben, how much he _wanted_ to tell Ben. He just...couldn’t bring himself to do so. He thought earlier, after seeing him so distraught in the cave, that tonight would be the knight he would finally tell him the truth about the Skywalkers, but as he stood there, looking into his nephew’s eyes, feeling his gut drop, he knew, it would have to wait yet again.

But at the same time, he knew he would have to tell Ben very soon.

Luke sighed. “Your legacy.” He responded. It wasn’t completely false, although he knew Ben would connect it to the legacy of his mother and father, and not to the legacy it actually was. “The dark side and those who follow it value power, and your name and lineage carry great power, my padawan.”

“I didn’t ask for this.” He responded.

“I know, none of us ever do!” Luke broke into a smile. “However we must carry on with our responsibilities. Remember your training when Snoke interrupts you. The force is your ally, keep your door open for it. It will give you answers when you ask.”

Ben gave a small smile to his uncle. He’d been used to this type of advice since he first came to the temple. Luke could sense his nephew’s emotions were not put towards any ease.

Luke caved, he placed a firm hand on Ben’s shoulder. “Ben, there’s something I have to tell you. It’s about our family. I wanted to always tell you, but I wanted to make sure you were ready. But now I see how long you’ve been fighting against Snoke and… I know I have to tell you. It’s the only way you can conquer this...I promise you - after your final trial, I’ll tell you.”

Ben quirked an eyebrow, taken aback by Luke’s confession. “Don’t you think it would be wiser to tell me sooner than later?”

Luke shook his head. “Once you have completed your training, you will be ready to hear it. You have to trust me.”

Ben was annoyed and had the slightest feeling of betrayal nipping at his heart. He didn’t like his uncle keeping secrets from him. But he didn’t want this relationship to go downhill because of his stubbornness, so he simply gave a forceful nod.

"I understand, my master.” He said trying his hardest to not let his negative emotions peak above the surface.

“Thank you, my padawan." Luke paused for a second gathering he thoughts. "Will you be okay?"

Ben nodded. Luke sighed and headed for door pausing before he fully crossed the threshold, looked back and said.

"Goodnight Ben.”

***

That night, Ben has a mixture of dreams and nightmares.

He dreams of an island in a place that’s unfamiliar. He sees strange birds with white, gray and orange coloring, large dark eyes, and webbed feet. He sees a foreign humanoid species dressed like maids living about this place. Just as he was getting lost in the sounds of crisp blue waves, he heard _him_ again.

 _“Liars! All of them!”_ Shouted Snoke, breaking the serenity of the dream. The beautiful view faded from Ben’s eyesight as if it had been seared by fire, and the air became unbearably hot. _“Your mother! Your father! Your uncle! They’ve lied to you for years about who you truly are.”_

Ben found himself nearly tripping over a cliff that led straight to a pool of hot molten lava that was burning bright fiery shades of orange and crimson. It moved at such a varied viscosity that it seemingly swirled around as if to hypnotize Ben.

“Leave me alone!” He shouted, taking in the horrifying shot around him, volcanoes upon volcanoes casting jagged shadows all around with one barring a large imposing castle.

 _“My boy, you take me for your enemy. I am not. I’ve never been. I am your ally. Skywalker holds you back! You have so much untapped potential. Remember what Ren said to you all those years ago at the outpost? He was telling the truth.”_ Snoke’s voice was surrounding him, echoing as if they were in an empty hall and not outside.

Ben would not take the bait. “He sensed you in my head. That was all.” 

_“No. He sensed your true self. What you’ve been hidden from your entire life. Your true self. The version of you that could conquer the galaxy. The you that could defeat even your legendary uncle.”_

“Master Luke plans to tell me this secret when I finish the trials. He is no liar.” Ben defended.

Just as he turned around, the atmosphere changed again to a dimly lit hallway Ben did not recognize. He looked and saw a window in a shape that reminded him of a spiderweb. He glanced out of the window, and saw a large reactor shaft with a catwalk going right down the middle. It was then that he realized he was more than likely on a spaceship.

 _“Why would you want such a ground shaking secret to be delivered to you, when you could discover it yourself? Search within yourself young Solo. The curiosity is eating you alive. I can feel it deep within you.”_ Just then, Ben heard strange breathing noises coming from all directions, but he could tell this was not Snoke’s. The breathing was mechanical and dry, as if not from actual lungs but a contraption.

Ben closed his eyes and huffed. “Even if it were,” he said not confirming his feelings to Snoke. “There’s nothing I can do but wait.”

Snoke replied back hastily. _“Wrong. You could find out all on your own. You don’t need Skywalker...The force is your ally, keep your door open for it. It will give you answers when you ask.”_

Just then the window broke, the air was depressurized, and Ben's terrified screams could be heard as he was flung out of the hallway and down to the reactor shaft.

***

Ben woke startled, but determined. Glancing out of the window in his hut, he noticed the sun was inching its way up the sky. 

He wasted no time. He marched to the center of the temple, skipping breakfast and making a beeline for the library. The library was in the upper level of the temple, located in the center of the domed structure. It had rows and rows of book chips stacked with information related to anything involving the jedi and the galaxy. 

Ben wasn’t trying to defy his master, he was just curious and figured he could get a “head start” on the secret to be better prepared. For both his and Luke’s sake.

Luke said it was about their family, so when he approached the database he punched in three keywords: “Skywalker”, “Organa”, and “Solo.” Several book chips and their locations were highlighted and he collected them all. He didn’t want anyone to see what he was doing, he was lucky this was on a free day, where most padawans and younglings were too busy having fun outside to be concerned with studying. He was sure there would still be a couple scattered throughout as the day moved on, so he selected a private room in the back and began his research.

The first book chip was about his uncle, Luke Skywalker. Nothing much, just his birth year, homeworld, his rank as a jedi master, and a list of his accomplishments. Nothing too much he didn’t already know. It listed his late uncle and aunt, Owen and Beru as his adoptive parents. It also listed his biological father - Anakin Skywalker. A name he’d never heard of before. He remembered asking his mother who his grandparents were when he was a child, but she always stated that she had no memory of them, only her adoptive parents. She always seemed hard pressed whenever he’d ask, so he eventually stopped.

He put a pin in the name Anakin Skywalker for later.

Next he looked at his mother’s book chip profile. Hers was much more extensive given her contributions to the galaxy post-war and her many deeds as a leader of the Rebellion. She had three listings for her parents: her adoptive parents being the King Bail Organa and Queen Breha Organa of the fallen planet of Alderaan. Ben’s mother had told him many stories of the beautiful planet, but it was only on one melancholic evening, the day before his parents officially divorced did she confess to him one of her darkest memories - “I haven’t felt this dreadful since I was forced to watch my planet get wiped from existence.” Ben never knew his mother witnessed the destruction of her homeplanet. 

It would be later when Ben was around thirteen did he read up on the Galactic Civil War that he learned that Alderaan, a peaceful planet with no weapons, was sentenced to extinction by the Death Star I at the orders of Wilhuff Tarkin and Darth Vader. The information was enough to ensure Ben didn’t get any sleep that night. He was positive those two men had ice for blood. Only someone who’s evilness runs down to their very bones could destroy a planet full of innocent people.

Underneath Leia’s adoptive parents, was her birth father: Anakin Skywalker as expected.

Ben noticed a pattern, Luke and Leia did not have their mother listed.

The next book chip was about none other than Anakin himself. His picture caused Ben to do a double take, as he strongly resembled a young version of his uncle. He was born and raised on the same planet as his Luke, Tatooine. He was considered the Chosen One from a young age due to his high midichlorian rates, and also that he was conceived with no father, but through the force itself and birthed from his mother.

Chosen One? Ben put a pin in that.

Ben soon came across something that deeply alarmed him - his grandfather was taught by none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi. 

Also known as Ben Kenobi.

The very same Ben Kenobi that was responsible for his uncle and current master’s early training.

The Ben Kenobi he was named after.

A lump formed in Ben’s throat at this. He swallowed and pushed his nervousness aside. He had work to do.

He read through the rest of his grandfather’s information. How he was immediately granted the rank of padawan due to passing the youngling trials. How he was so advanced in the force, he was knighted by the age of 19. He read through his many, many accomplishments during the Clone Wars with fascination. Many of which he achieved alongside Kenobi. He had to admit, the man was impressive and Ben felt admiration blossom for him. He couldn’t believe neither his mother or uncle never thought to read up on their father. He was a hero!

His story came to a rather dreadful close. It ended with him being presumed dead, more than likely killed at the terribly young age of 22 along with his fellow jedi, under Order 66 which was executed by Darth Sidious in 19 BBY. 

There was no mention of a wife, or any romantic interest. He was frequently in the presence of other female jedi, and even took on an apprentice by the name of Ahsoka Tano. His grandfather was objectively attractive, so it’s hard to imagine him getting rejected, jedi or not. Maybe his grandmother was one of the jedi. Ben at first thought that maybe his apprentice was his grandmother, before learning that she was: 1.) Not a human, but a togruta and 2.) Just a teenager right before the downfall of the Jedi and left the order before it even happened due to an incident.

That just left a female senator he watched over once after there was an assassination attempt on her life. He dismissed it because if they did have a fling, it had to have happened three years before his mother and uncle were born.

Anakin’s mother, Shmi Skywalker, was listed as his sole parent.

He checked the book chip about Solo’s, and all he found was a list of people who carried the surname Solo throughout the galaxy. It wasn’t an actual family name, but given as a placeholder to those who didn’t have one. Ben knew this already, but still thought it was strange as his father did have parents, but he never knew his mother, and his father abandoned him at a young age.

Ben then went back to the database, searched the keyword “chosen one”, and “old jedi order.” He selected the highlighted book chips and went back to his room.

He continued his research with the book chip dedicated to jedi prophecies. He skipped to the chapter about the Chosen One prophecy.

_The Chosen One - Year of Origin Unknown_

_The Chosen One will destroy the Sith and restore balance to the force._ Interesting. It would appear that it was Master Luke who fulfilled this prophecy, as his father died before he could. Ben’s guess was because of Anakin’s untimely death, the prophecy was then extended to be embodied by and carried out through one of Anakin’s heirs.

He finally looked through a final book chip of the Old Jedi Order. He acquired knowledge of just how different the old jedi way was in comparison to the way his uncle had structured things. For one, in the old order, the jedi took their younglings way younger than Luke did. They took them as infants and toddlers, refusing to take in a force-sensitive younger than seven due to the attachments they would have developed. This made his grandfather even more special, as he was clearly older than the average recruit but was made an exception because of his status as the Chosen One.

It was also made apparent in the old code that the jedi were forbidden to take on lovers, and risked being excommunicated and exhiled from the order if they did. Now his grandmother’s anonymity made sense. Anakin probably didn’t want to risk both he and his grandmother’s reputation being threatened.

While most of the values were still very much instructed by Luke, those two things stood out the most that were still not practiced. Ben was Luke’s first apprentice, and he wasn’t taken until he was ten, three years older than the cut-off from the old order. He also wasn’t averse to them finding partners. Luke himself had married Mara Jade many years ago and both were very much masters of the force.

Overwhelmed, Ben’s stomach began to rumble and he looked outside, it was no longer early morning, and the sun was out, but beyond its peak. He was nearing the end of lunchtime. Throughout his whole research period, he had been taking notes on a blank book chip, which had nearly thirty pages worth of notes on it now. 

As he flipped through the holographic screen of the notes, reviewing them one at a time, he couldn’t help but notice how he received many answers and none all the same. What could be this big secret that his family was hiding from him this whole time?

He could only assume that it was the fact that his grandfather was the Chosen One. But why hide that? His uncle has reached legendary status throughout the entire galaxy. His mother is a celebrated politician and considered a political genius. His father is a renowned pilot. He was named after Ben Kenobi. He was already sinking in the weight expectations; why would learning that his grandfather was the Chosen One and an amazing jedi knight be a secret to harbor from him? 

Maybe, they figured it would just be too much pressure? Ben needed more time to think after his head had time to process all of the information he just indulged and he wasn’t on the cusp of passing out from hunger.

And as he returned the book chips and made his way to the eating area, he couldn’t help but think that maybe the secret was about his grandmother, who he still knew nothing about. Not even her name. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who was the Prime Jedi? - https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Prime_Jedi
> 
> I added Mara Jade Skywalker from Legends because she's a badass and I love her. More info - https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Mara_Jade_Skywalker
> 
> What is rootleaf stew? - https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Rootleaf_stew/Canon
> 
> What went down when the Knights of Ren first collided with Luke and Ben - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONNJbEx2NGU
> 
> What is a book chip? - https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Book_chip
> 
> Shmi Skywalker (the FIRST Skywalker) - https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Shmi_Skywalker_Lars
> 
> The Chosen One prophecy - https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Chosen_One
> 
> Ahsoka Tano (we stan) - https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Ahsoka_Tano
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter :)


	3. Ahch-To

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben finds out about a mysterious planet and goes to it in the hopes of finding answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to be honest...this is not my favorite chapter that I've written. It's the final chapter before the action/plot really starts to kick off so that's a relief. Sorry this took a bit longer to put together, I was just kind of lost on how to go about this chapter but I'm happy it's written now and I don't have to worry about it any longer.
> 
> Also: BIG thanks to barboozalum, EllaTW, and runeslair for leaving kudos!

Ben ate lunch in silence. Pondering all that he’d learned, the same facts repeating over and over again in his mind. He did not attend dinner that night. He stayed in his hut reflecting on his findings by writing down his thoughts in his calligraphy set.

When he was finished he sighed deeply and sat back in his chair, the small fire he made crackling behind him. If he were younger and more naive, he would believe that he’d hit a dead end; however Ben is mature enough to notice when something seems fishy. The biographies were good at seeming complete, however there was information it was obviously lacking - and Ben wasn’t sure if that was on purpose or not.

Simply put: the archives are incomplete.

Ben wished he took some time out to meditate today, his mind was so clouded and he needed a chance to connect with the force deeply. 

As he sat staring at the small fire, it’s flames causing shadows to dance across his hut, he had an idea - it could possibly get him into trouble however it was worth a shot.

Both Luke and Snoke told him to ask the force for answers, however Ben needed to know the proper way to ask, which he figured only the most advanced Jedi would have the knowledge to. The most advanced Jedi currently alive were Master’s Luke and Mara; and he knew they both had their own archives of information that they only shared when necessary to the right pupil at the right time.

Especially Master Luke, who had some old Jedi scrolls that he recovered during his post-galactic civil war days when trying to gather more information on the Jedi. 

Ben knew Luke would still be telling legends to the younglings and padawans, and Mara was still on Coruscant, so his hut would be empty. And his findings would be unguarded.

It isn’t that Luke wants to keep secrets about his Jedi findings - quite the contrary, however he wanted to get well acquainted with his discoveries before he went forward with them. He hardly had the time for these days due to training the next generation of Jedi, and going on missions.

Luke and Mara’s hut was much closer to the temple. It was organized this way so that in case of an emergency, they could be close. It was also slightly larger in size to the other huts. Ben had to be careful as to not get seen by others. He slid alongside the walls of the temple until he saw the front of the hut, and then ducking down as not to interrupt Luke and the others, who were a few yards out of reach but could still notice Ben if he gave them a reason to.

He entered the hut, it was dimly lit by a small glow unit in the center. Wrapped around the walls were shelves filled with books, book-chips, and a couple of holocrons. It was clearly split down the middle between Luke’s side and Mara’s side, as both sides had a desk with different materials on each. It appeared Mara’s had been tidied up before she went on her mission, while Luke’s had clearly been used with papers and pens sprawled across its surface.

Ben shifted through Luke’s artifacts, and he found many interesting things, none of which were helpful though. Old information on kyber crystals, tales of the old high republic, but nothing about his family.

As Ben was flipping through a holobook about prominent Jedi masters throughout history, he heard the soft coo of a baby and he felt all of the blood drain from his head as a sudden realization just washed over him and his eyes grew wide. He turned very slowly to see his two year-old cousin, Owen, staring at him with his wide blue eyes very much reminiscent of Luke’s.

Ben decided it was in his best interest to stay quiet and calm. Owen was not a crier by any means, and the kid loved his big cousin. But he definitely didn’t need Owen giving Luke any reason to come in here.

The toddler had been sleeping in a small bed in front of Luke’s, which was behind where Ben had been sitting.

“Hey little Owen,” Ben whispered, slouching down so that he and Owen were at eye level. “I’m sorry I woke you up. I promise to be quieter, buddy.”

Owen pouted and shook his head. He knew he would have to bribe the kid somehow. He gave his baby cousin the biggest toothy grin he could. “If you go back to sleep, then I will bring you back some fresh bantha milk!”

The kid smiled, then nodded. Ben gently scruffed the tuft of bright red hair that sat atop his head. “Thank you.” He finished. Owen yawned before sitting back down in his small bed and dozing off.

Ben faced the desk again, lost in thought. At his breaking point, he sat back in the chair and closed his eyes,

“Please…” he said under his breath, begging the Force. “Please…”

After a few moments had passed he heard soft, faint whispers in the air. They were speaking in a language he could not understand, but he knew it was calling out to him. He followed the voices, where they led him to a small wooden box, atop the highest shelf. 

He brought the wooden box down, and opened it. Inside was a cloth bag, and several pieces of parchment folded together. The cloth bag held several leaves all seemingly from the same tree. Ben thought this was odd, what could be so important about some leaves?

He then moved onto the papers, Luke had organized them in a particular order. He was collecting the leaves for some purpose. He had a list of all the planets he’d gotten the leaves from along with their coordinates. He recognized all of the planets as he was well studied on the planets and their rim placements - a skill he picked up from his father. However the final one was one he’d never heard of, a planet called Ahch-To.

In his notes Luke had described it as watery, with strange birds of orange, gray, and white…

This was the place Ben had been dreaming about.

 _I am certain that Ahch-To is the birthplace of the Jedi Order._ Luke’s final note read.

Be hastily got a piece of spare parchment from Luke’s desk as well as a pen and wrote down the coordinates of Ahch-To. The origin planet of the Jedi Order would no doubt be a place rich in the force where he’d more than likely get the answers he was searching for. When he was done, he placed everything back neatly, making sure to not to not tip-off Luke, and snuck back out of the hut.

That night, when everyone was fast asleep Ben snuck out again with only his necessities. He moved through the forests to the large pond that was about a mile away from the temple, where Luke’s x-wing sat.

“I’m going to do this,” Ben thought. Using the Force, Ben called out to his uncle one final time before his departure. _I’m sorry, master._

As the x-wing took off, Luke Skywalker rose out of his sleep, “No, Ben, no!” he said, taking his son in his arms and fleeting his hut where the rest of his students were looking up into the sky as his x-wing left the atmosphere.

“BEN!!!” he shouted frustrated. But he knew all too well it was too late.

***

It was only a few minutes into travel when Ben received a transmission. He hesitantly accepted it.

“Ben, where are you going?” Said the tired voice of his uncle through the transmitter.

“I...can’t tell you.” He responded. He would not tell him where he was headed. Not this soon. He could easily send a fleet after Ben and have him dragged back to Yavin 4.

“Is it Snoke again?”

“No.” He bit out. “It has to do only with me.”

“I don’t know what kind of rebellion phase you think you’re going through Solo, but bring my x-wing back right this moment or so be it I will alert _both_ of your parents.” Ben didn’t detect any bluff in Luke’s voice. “Leia won’t hesitate to have some republic officials track you down...and Han…”

Ben knew what Han would do...he’d essentially band together with some of his pilot buddies and go on a bounty hunter mission minus the killing. The likelihood of him being caught would be extremely high.

But still, Ben didn’t budge. “Just trust me... _Please_.”

There was a pause, before Luke finally said, “See you around kid.”

***

Ben was relieved when the x-wing finally exited hyperspace. Ahch-To was on the opposite side of the galaxy to Yavin 4, so it was a longer trip than usual and left him very tired and mentally drained.

That being said, Ahch-To was a beautiful sight beyond belief. Ben was taken aback by just how liquid it was. The whole thing appeared to be just one giant blue ocean; but as the x-wing grew closer and closer he noticed several islands scattered throughout its surface - so he naturally chose the biggest one to land on per Luke’s notes.

Once he got off the x-wing he noticed that the air on the planet was truly remarkable. He could tell the place was ancient and untouched by technology or mass development just from how breathable the air was. The crisp arohma of the ocean filled and exited his lungs with an ease he had never experienced before.

The rest of his view was truly beautiful. He stood on the greenest grass he’d ever seen, and the island was a series of rock formations that probably went back centuries upon centuries ago.

As he walked up a rocky trail to what looked like a small village, he noticed some movement above and he got excited. Ben remembered from Luke’s notes that a group of villagers live here called the Lanai.

Ben went into shock when he realized they matched his dream nearly to a tea. Seemingly bird-like and frog-like at the same time, and dressed not too far off from that of a human.

As the small village got closer in view, Ben smiled at the sight of the birds referred to as “porgs” screeching from a tree.

Finally, at the top Ben noticed that the rock formations had been turned into huts. Two Lanai, both dressed in white dresses and white head scarfs gave Ben a look before talking at him in their language.

Ben wanted to kick himself. He had no idea what they were saying.

“I’m so sorry, but, do either of you speak Galactic Basic?” He asked shyly, pushing his dark locs out of the front of his face.

They looked at him in confusion before talking rapidly in their language again, this time to each other. They did not seem happy.

Ben forced his mind to think of something - anything - that would get them to see him as a non-threat.

This was the birthplace of the Jedi, surely they’d heard of them before right? 

Ben got on his knees, submitting to the Lanai. He saw it befitting to show them he understood this was their territory. He pulled out his lightsaber, resting it in the palms of his hands, not lighting it but showing them the hilt. “Uhhh, Jedi! I am a Jedi, see!” The two Lanai spoke angrily at him, but he was only able to make out the word “Jedi” from them.

“Luke Skywalker?! You’ve heard of him right?!” He tried again. At Luke’s name, they calmed down and looked at him with curiosity in their dark eyes.

“Skywalker-is-my-master. I mean no harm.” He gave them a reassuring smile. “Skywalker-is-my-family. I-am-Ben-Solo. Skywalker’s nephew! I-mean-no-harm!” He said, trying his best to speak clearly.

The Lanai looked at each other, spoke briefly but calmly before saying something to Ben. He nodded as if he could fully understand them. In their last sentence, Ben could make out “Jedi” again, and then they pointed up somewhere in the distance. He looked behind him to see a large rock formation, which he was assuming is where the ancient Jedi had once lived.

“Thank-you-very-much.” Ben said, standing up and giving the Lanai another smile to show gratitude. 

Ben began trailing up the island to where the Lanai had pointed. It was there that he noticed even more huts. The site was so strange to Ben because he was used to the huts on Yavin 4, which were made of wood and straw, while these were made of stone.

And then he heard _them_ again...those soft whispering voices as clear as day now. This time in the language he understood

_There is no emotion, there is peace._

Ben’s ears quipped. He recognized those words - the beginning of the Jedi Code. He turned in the direction of the voice and began walking.

_There is no ignorance, there is knowledge._

This part of the island dipped downward, and was somewhat off of the shore.

_There is no passion, there is serenity._

The voices got more and more clear with each step he took.

_There is no chaos, there is harmony._

Ben was startled by what he saw before him - a large tree with no leaves. Just a humongous trunk and two equally staggering branches on either side, and a third one towards the back. The entire area was surrounded by thick fog, but the air was just as breathable as when he first set foot on the island.

_There is no death, there is the Force._

Ben closed his eyes, and breathed in deeply before stepping inside.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not the most exciting chapter ever but it gets the job done. Next ones will be more interesting.  
> I do want to do an "interlude" chapter. Something short that shows everyone's reaction to Ben going M.I.A all of a sudden.
> 
> Time for some links:  
> -In cannon it is determined that Luke found Ahch-To by studying the Uneti tree saplings across the galaxy and tracing them back. This is a good dive into what that process might have looked like: https://aminoapps.com/c/star-wars/page/blog/how-did-luke-find-ahch-to-tlj-spoilers/jKFK_u32LNdEY3Pv75lKkxpxaDb0Bo
> 
> -Who I based Owen Skywalker off of: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Ben_Skywalker
> 
> -More info on the Lanai: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Lanai
> 
> -What is Galactic Basic?: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Galactic_Basic
> 
> -The Uneti tree whispers the Jedi Code to Rey in "The Last Jedi": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn8-XPuqBs8&feature=emb_title
> 
> I wanna end this by saying please, please, PLEASE stay safe and follow proper protocol while we are fighting this pandemic. I hope you're all doing well and social distancing yourself.
> 
> Thanks again for reading <3

**Author's Note:**

> Time for some quick notes!  
> -Right off the bat, NO, Leia and Han were not crappy parents. They loved Ben dearly, however the divorce did put a strain on the family. Keep in mind the devil works hard but Snoke works harder (lol.)  
> -There is no current canon location for Luke Skywalker's Jedi Temple, however in Legends it is located on Yavin 4, so I used that location.  
> -How did the First Order come to be? Here's a video: https://youtu.be/O0kXxQCVlaQ  
> -Who is (Queen) Voe? https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Voe  
> -Who is Hennix? https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Hennix  
> -Who is Tai? https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Tai  
> -This "The Rise of Kylo Ren #3" summary also goes deeper into the dynamic between Ben, Voe, Hennix, and Tai. *It has spoilers for the comic though obviously* - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15pmLLGcIFY
> 
> So let me know how I did. It's been a loooonnnngggg time since I've wrote fanfiction so I expected to be a little rusty.


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